My (Un)fair lady

The other day I was returning from office, I boarded the Delhi Metro at Jungpura Metro Station, and made my way to a comparatively vacant corner to rest my tired mind and body. Suddenly, I heard a woman shouting, shrieking. At first I couldn’t understand, it was a ladies coach so the question of eve-teasing didn’t arise. I looked in the direction, where everyone was looking and saw a young well-dressed woman on phone, angrily shouting at the person on the other end of the phone.

I couldn’t help but listen to the conversation she was having with the caller. Soon, I realised that she was talking to her father. And I was aghast, such arrogance, such haughtiness. Why? Why? What on the earth did the old man do to merit this behaviour? And can you believe, the bone of contention was that this lady’s brother wasn’t coming to pick her up at the Metro Station where she was de-boarding the train!! She was in such a foul mood as the father had told her to get out of the station and take an auto to home. Twice she disconnected the phone, and twice her parents called back. For the entire journey of 30+ minutes, this woman kept shouting at her father and mother, cursing her brother for not coming to pick her up at the station. When I got off the train at Botanic Garden station at Noida she was still shrieking over the phone amidst loud sobs.

Now, tell me honestly is this such a grave issue that a child has to shout at her parents? From the looks of her, she seemed a working woman, but even if isn’t, can an adult woman not reach her home on her own? Why must a girl/woman always lean on men-folk for pick and drop?

It also set me thinking, have her parents raised her well? Are we raising our kids properly? It’s not only about shouting at parents that leave a bad taste, but doing so in full public view that makes it worse. It not only shows bad manners, but also an utter lack of self-confidence.

All you girls out there who are reading this please keep your volumes low when you are in public. Also stop forcing the men in your life to chaperone you, always. Get a life of your own!